Master's Degree in International Humanitarian Action

The MIHA Difference: In a Disaster, Good Intentions are not Enough.

Fordham University’s Masters of Arts in International Humanitarian Action provides an unparalleled opportunity for humanitarian professionals to develop the comprehensive knowledge and on-the-ground skills needed to deal with the world’s most pressing challenges and disasters. Offered by Fordham’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the MIHA program combines the experience of seasoned humanitarian professionals with the academic strength of Fordham faculty from the School of Law and the Graduate Schools of Business and Social Service, who provide students with the political, historical, legal and ethical contexts of past, present and future emergencies. The IIHA has trained over 2,500 participants worldwide, many of whom are still working in situations of complex emergencies, and do not have the luxury of time to take a year or two from their professional lives. The MIHA is designed in response to their requests for a flexible yet academically rigorous degree-granting program that combines a theoretical basis with applied knowledge.

The program is made up of four advanced modules, which are flexible enough to fit a humanitarian professional’s schedule. Courses are offered in one-, two- and four-week intensive sessions in various locations around the world, including Barcelona, Geneva, Goa, Kuala Lumpur, Nairobi, Dublin, Rome, Penang, New York, and Berlin. Two credits are attributed to each week, and participants must complete eight total credits in each of the program’s four topic modules. Humanitarian professionals can complete the 32-credit program in 18 months or as long as five years, depending on individual schedules and resources.